The double decker 966 bus used to run between Haverhill and Clare but now it will act as a mobile hostel with bunks for up to 14 rough sleepers and the lower deck can be converted to four more.

The bus was donated from the Haverhill depot of Stephensons bus company just an hour after it completed its last school run in January 2017.

Gareth Brenland, 41, and his partner Sarah Brenland, 40, both quit their jobs in March this year to take on the renovation full time.

Gareth Brenland has converted a school bus into a homeless shelter

Mr Brenland said: "We picked the bus home the same morning it finished its last school run. We had asked lots of big bus companies like Arriva and Stagecoach but none were suitable and then we saw this one on Ebay.

"I called up Stephensons and they said they would give us it for free. I didn't know what to think, we were committed to doing it now. "

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Mr Brenland was inspired to start a shelter after he and his partner came across a rough sleeper on a date night in November 2016.

He said: "We went on a date night in November ands saw a rough sleeper. At dinner we asked for them to box up some food to take to him but when I went back out he was gone.

"A few days later he was still on my mind. I said: 'I have to do something'. I put a call out for warm clothes and sleeping bags. We started thinking about can we open a café or training centre and then Sarah saw an article about a bus in the Isle of Wight and we started looking for a bus."

Mr Brenland, who used to own an electric and property business, did almost all the work himself and named the bus Tiffers, after his daughter Tiffani.

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Almost all of the estimated £25,000 worth of work was paid for using crowdfunding and donations.

On the top deck each bunk comes with with its own LED night light, USB charging socket and privacy curtains. In an emergency the downstairs seating area can be converted to an extra four beds to sleep 18.

The bunks are the perfect mix of cosy and practical.

There will also be wash facilities, shower and a toilet, a functional kitchen which will serve breakfast, lunch, teas and coffees throughout the day. Main meals will be provided from an outside company free of charge thanks to The Teapot Project. There is also chill out area and a PC area for guests to use for applications and researching.

The last touches are being made to the shelter, with the service launching in Ipswich on August 28, travelling around the city to help people most in need.

A shop has also been set up selling clothes and other items to raise funds for the shelter.

Crowdfunding is ongoing to help cover the cost of road tax and insurance. You can donate here .

Look through our gallery to see the transformation from school bus to homeless shelter.